Counting and displacing apparatus for printing press delivery mechanisms



July 26, 1960 Filed June 7, 1957 M. J. COLLINGWOOD ETAL COUNTING ANDDISPLACING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESS DELIVERY MECHANISMS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 5 z I 0 1s 25- l INVENTOR 9 l4 MERLE J. COLLlNGWOODALBERT C. CHAGNOT July 26, 1960 M. J. COLLINGWOOD ETAL 2,946,266

COUNTING AND DISPLACING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESS DELIVERY MECHANISMS2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1957 INVENTOR FIG 3 MERLE JCoLuNGwooDALBERT C. CH

C QUNTING AND DISPLACING APPARATUS F OR PRENTING PRESS DELIVERYMECHANISMS h'lerie J. (lollingwood, 338 Afton Ave., Youngstown, Ohio,and Albert C. Chaguot, 905 Mosier Road, Girard, Ohio Filed June 7, 1957,Ser. No. 664,244

6 Claims. (CI. 93-93) This invention relates generally to certainimprovements in counting and displacing apparatus for printing pressdelivery mechanisms, particularly fly or fan deiiveries of the type usedin newspaper printing plants, for example.

As'will be understood by those skilled in the printing art, printednewspapers are delivered to a rotary fly which deposits the same insuccessive overlapped relation on conveyor means for delivery to otherworking stations. In order to relieve the operators at the other workingstations from having to count the papers it has heretofore beensuggested to employ counting and displacing apparatus between the rotaryfly and the other working stations for shifting or displacing certain ofthenewspapers from their normal overlapped position whereby the same areeasily identified. Such apparatus includes counting means for actuatingthe displacing means in a periodic manner after a certain number ofoverlapped papers have passed a certain point so that the shifted ordisplaced papers indicate the count of the papers. As an example, ifevery tenth paper is shifted the displaced sheets will indicate thereare ten papers between successive shifted papers while if the apparatusis operative to alter every twenty-fifth paper it will indicate thereare twenty-five papers between successive altered sheets.

It is the primary or ultimate object of the present invention to provideimproved counting and delivery apparatus for printing press deliverymechanism, especially of the type employed with newspaper printingpresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide counting and displacingapparatus embodying improved displacing means. As will be hereinaftermore fully explained, the displacing means comprises a solenoid operatedkicking foot which is positioned forwardly of the rotary fly, or othersimilar delivery mechanism, and operative to displace predeterminedsheets as the same are delivered bythe rotary fly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide counting anddisplacing apparatus embodying improved counting means for actuating thesolenoid of the displacing means in response to the delivery of apredetermined number of papers. The counting means is actuated directlyin response to the rotation of the rotary fly whereby an accurate andprecise count of the papers is afforded. In connnection with this objectof the invention it is a further object of the invention to providecounting means which is adjustable so that successive altered or shiftedpapers indicate a predetermined and preselected number of paperstherebetween.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide counting meansfor counting and displacing apparatus which includes ganged steppingswitchesactuated in response to the rotary fly or other deliverymechanism. The invention also provides an improved, simplified but yetextremely rugged electrical circuit for actuating the stepping switchesand the displacing means as well as improved means for re-setting thecounting means upon 2,946,266 Patented any as, 1960 2 actuation of thedisplacing means. The re-setting apparatus is operative and actuated apredetermined time intervalafter the displacing means is actuatedthereby insuring that a paper is properly displaced before the countingapparatus is returned to its initial position.

These, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention,will become apparent upon consideration of the following specificationand accompanying drawing wherein there is described and shown apreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of printing press delivery mechanismembodying counting and displacing apparatus, including a schematicelectrical circuit, constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a front view showing particularly the structure anddisposition of the printing press delivery mechanism; and t Figure 3Iisa plan view showing an arrangement of newspapers on the conveyor meansproduced by the counting and displacing apparatus of the presentinvention.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicatelike parts, the reference numeral 10 designates. generally deliverymechanism of a type commonly employed with a newspaper printing press.

The delivery mechanism 10 comprises a plurality of rotary flies 11 whichare mounted in spaced relation by c'ollarslZ on a transversely extendingshaft 13 and are adapted to be rotated therewith. Each of the rotaryflies 11 is somewhat circular in side elevation and has a plurality ofvanes 14', preferably five, attached thereto by any convenientattachment means, such as the screws 15, for example, at equally spacedpoints about its outer periphery. The vanes 14 associated with each ofthe rotary flies ll extend outwardly and circumferentially to definepockets to for the reception of newspapers delivered from a printingpress, not shown, by suitable apparatus indicated schematically by apair of opposed delivery rolls 17 in Figure 1 of the drawing.

As is readily apparent in Figure 2 of the drawing, the rotary flies 11are of relatively thin axial dimension and are transversely spaced onthe shaft 13. The shaft 13 is disposed at the output of a newspaperprinting press and rotated in synchronism therewith by suitable drivemeans, not shown, whereby a newspaper 18 coming from delivery rolls 17is received in the aligned pockets 16 of the plurality of flies 11.Although there are shown six rotary flies 11 mounted on the shaft 13 itwill be understood that any number of these members may be em ployeddepending upon the size of the printed product, etc. Upon continuedrotation of the shaft 13 the newspaper 18 is deposited on continuouslymoving tapes 19 forming conveyor means for delivery to other workingstations, not shown. It will be noted that as each successive pluralityof aligned pockets 16 is rotated into a position under the deliveryrolls 17 a newspaper is deposited therein so thatupon each completerotation of the shaft13 five newspapers, corresponding to the number ofpockets .16 associated with each fly, will be deposited on the; tapes19. The tapes 19 are moved at' such a speed that the delivered papersare partially overlapped in staggered relation in the manner illustratedby predetermined ones of the newspapers 18from1their,

normal or overlapped relation to indicate thej count of the newspapers.A newspaper designatedby therefor; ence numeral z ii in' Figure 3 isskewed with respectto,

the other of the overlapped papers and is easily 'recog- 3 mined forindicating the count. Apparatus for shifting or altering the newspaper28 to the position shown will now be described.

Mounted forwardly of the shaft 13 in parallel relation therewith is ashaft 21 which is journaled by means, not shown, for rotative movement.The shaft 21 is approxi mately the same length of the shaft 13 andtherefore extends across the flies 11 and the tapes 19. Mounted in rigidrelation on the shaft 21 intermediate the ends thereof is a tubularfixture 22 which is adapted to receive a rearwardly extending rod 23.The rod 23 is held in the tubular fixture 22 by a clamping screw 24, orother convenient means, and mounts a kicking foot 25 at the rear endthereof. The fixture 22, as recited above, is mounted intermediate theends of the shaft 21 but to one side of the center line of thenewspapers deposited on the tapes 19 in such a manner that the kickingfoot extends between adjacent ones of the rotary flies. Thus,

clamping fixture 26 having an extending arm which is pivotally attachedto one end of a link 27. The other end of the link 27 is attached to amovable core 28 of a heavy duty solenoid 29 whereby when the solenoidis.

properly energized the core 28 will be retracted to cause movement ofthe fixture 26 and rotative movement of the shaft 21 as is readilyapparent. The terminals of the winding of the solenoid 29 are connectedby conductors. 3t and 31 and the normally open contacts of relay 32-with a source of electrical energy 33. Thus, upon proper actuation ofthe relay 32 the solenoid will be actuated and as a result the paperbeing deposited by the rotary flies on the tapes at this time will bealtered or shifted to a skewed position. It will be noted that theshifting of the selectedpaper is completed while the same is the lastpaper on the tapes-i.e. there are no other papers on top thereof inoverlapped relationso that only the selected paper is shifted and thereis no disturbance of proceeding or succeeding newspapers. In addition,since only one sheet is altered, only a small force is required r andthe solenoid 29 is therefore of reasonable size and capacity.

In order to properly actuate the relay 32 to energize the solenoid 29for shifting a paper there is provided counting means including a pairof ganged stepping switches 34 and 34 which are identical and, to avoid1mnecessary repetition in the specification, only one of these switcheswill be described in detail while identical parts of the other switchare indicated by primed reference numerals. The switch 34- cornprises apair of movable pointers 35 and 36, the pointer 35 being movable inresponse to the deposit of papers on the tapes 19 in a man-- nor to belater described while the pointer 36 is manually positioned in a presetposition. Each of the pointers 35 and 36 is adapted to engage contactportions 37 during their travel over banks of contacts 38 associatedtherewith.v Corresponding contact portions 37 of each of the. banks 38are interconnected by parallel conductors 39.

As shown in the drawing, the contact bank 38 associated with the wiperand pointer 36 is provided with reference indicia 40 corresponding tothe desired number of papers betweenjsuccessive shifted; or alteredsheets while the contact bank associated, with. pointer 35 is providedwith a home station 42. The arrangement is such that the operator.initially sets the pointer or wiper 36 to the contact 37 correspondingto the desired number of, papers between altered or shifted papers whilethe pointer 35 moves around the contact bank 38 associated therewith inresponse to the number of newspapers deposited on the tapes 19 until itengages contact 37 corresponding to the 4 contact 37 engaged by thepointer 36 to complete a circuit through the conductor 39 connectingthese two con-, tacts and the pointers 35 and 36. The pointers 35 and35', as Well as the pointers 36 and 36', of the switches 34 and 34' aremechanically or electrically interconnected as indicated by the brokenlines 41 so that movement of one of the pointers of one of the switchescauses a like movement of the corresponding pointer associated with theother of the switches. In effect, the ganged switches 34 and 34' provideseparate parallel current conductive paths when a predetermined andpreselected number of newspapers have been counted for reasons whichwill be hereinafter more fully explained.

For actuating the pointers 35 and 35 there is provided a stepping relay43 which operates through suitable means, indicated by the broken line44, such as a pawl and ratchet mechanism, for example, to move thepointers 35 and 35' from one set of contacts 37 to another setofadjacent contacts 37 each time it is operated. Also associated withthe stepping switches 34 and 34 is a return relay 45 which is operative,via interconnecting means 46, to return the pointers or wipers 35 and35' to their home or start positions after the electrical circuits havebeen completed through the ganged switches 34 and For actuating thestepping relay 43 in response to the number of papers deposited on thetapes 19 there is provided a rotary limit switch 47 mounted on one endof the-shaft 13 which comprises a cam 48 rotatable with the shaft 13, acam follower 49, a stationary contact member and a movable spring loadedcontact member 51. The cam follower 49 is mounted on the spring loadedcontact member 51 and engages the cam 48, said cam being shaped in sucha manner that the contacts car ried by the contact members 50 and 51close once every revolution of the shaft 13. The closure of these lastmentioned contacts connected the stepping relay @3- with a source ofelectrical energy 53 in a manner to be further explained so that thepointers 35 and 35' move from one set of contacts 37 and 37 to anotherfor each revolution of the shaft 13. It will be remembered that each ofthe rotary flies 11 has five pockets 16 so that five pa pers aredeposited on the tapes 19 for each revolution of the shaft 13. Thus,each step of the pointers 35 and 35' corresponds to five papers beingdeposited on the tapes 19.

The apparatus of thepresent invention also includes other controlinstrumentalities such as a resetting switch 54 operated by a lever 55'attached to and movable with the pointer 35 and a homing relay 56. Theutilization of these components, as well as the other apparatusdisclosed, will perhaps best be understood in connection with theoperation of the apparatus as described below:

In the operation of the counting and displacing apparatus the operatorsets the pointers 36 and 36 to the contact portions 37 and 37corresponding to the desired number of papers between successive alteredor shifted papers. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention thesepointers are set on the contacts 37 and 37' corresponding to twentypapers between altered or shifted sheets. Initially the pointers 35 and35' are in their home positions 42 and 42'.

When the delivery mechanism of the printing press is actuated the shaft13 will begin to rotate and the rotary flies 11 will deposit five papersof the conveyor for each revolution of the shaft 13. For each revolutionof the shaft 13 the contacts carried by contact members 50 and 51 closesonce and this completes a circuit from one terminal of source 53 throughconductor 57, the rotary switch 47, conductor 58, the winding ofstepping relay 43 and conductor 59 to the other terminal of the source53. The completion of this electrical circuit energizes the steppingrelay 43 which acts through the 'mechanical interconnection 44, a pawland ratchet I r from the home stations to the first set of contacts 37and 37'. It will be noted that the initial movement of the pointer 35also causes arcuate movement of the lever 55 attached thereto so thatthe contacts of the resetting switch 54 are allowed to close but it willalso be noted that the closure of this switch does not complete anyelectrical circuit due to the open contacts of homing relay 56.

The operation of the counting and displacing apparatus continues withthe pointers 35 and 35 being moved across the contact banks 38 and 38,each moving from one contact to another in response to one revolution ofthe shaft 13 and five papers being deposited on the tapes 19, until theyreach. the contacts corresponding to the contacts engaged by the presetpointers 36 and 36. When this condition is reached it means that thepreselected number of papers, in this case twenty, have been depositedon the tapes 19 and the next paper should be altered or shifted. Whenthepointer reaches the contact corresponding to the one engaged by pointer36 an electrical circuit is completed from one side of source 53 throughconductor 57, conductor 60, conductor 61, pointer 35, one of theconductors 39, pointer 36, the winding of relay 32, and conductor 62 tothe other terminal of the source 53. This causes the actuation of therelay 32 to close the contacts thereof thereby completing the energizingcircuit for the solenoid 29. And, as heretofore explained, energizationof the solenoid 29 causes rotation of shaft 21 and movement of kickingfoot 25 to shift or alter the sheet being deposited on the tapes.

It is, of course, necessary to provide means for resetting the pointers35 and 35 of the ganged stepping switches to their home positions 42 and42' but yet the solenoid must remain energized a sufficient time to in--sure that the desired paper is shifted or altered. To accomplish theseends a second electrical circuit is completed when the pointers 35 and35' reach the contacts corresponding to the contacts engaged by thepreset pointers 36 and 36 from the source 53. This circuit can be tracedfrom one terminal of source 53 through conductor 57, conductor 60,pointer 35, one of the conductor's 39, preset pointer 36, conductor 65,the winding of homing relay 56, resetting switch 54 (whose contacts areclosed at this time) and the conductor 59 to the other terminal ofsource 53. 1

The completion of this last mentioned circuit energizes the winding ofrelay 56 to close the three contacts thereof. These contacts close tocomplete two electrical circuits, the first of which energizes thereturnrelay and can be traced from one terminal of source 53 viaconductor 57, the closed contacts of homing relay 56, conductor 66, thewinding of return relay 45 and conductor 59 to the other terminal of thesource 53. The second electrical circuit completed by the closure of thecon tacts of the homing relay 56 is a holding circuit therefor whichinsures continued energization of this relay once the contacts thereofare initially closed. This circuit includes source 53, conductor 57,closed contacts of the homing relay 56, conductor 70, winding of relay56, conductor 65, resetting switch 54 (which is closed at this time) andthe conductor 59. It is thus apparent that the homing relay 56, afteronce being energized to close its contacts, will remain energizedthrough the above described holding circuit irrespective of the positionof the pointer 35 until the resetting switch 54 is opened.

The energization of the winding of return relay 45 when the countingpointers 35 and 35' reach the pre selected contacts 37 and 37' isoperative to condition the ganged switches 34 and 34 so that thesepointers 35 and 35 will return to their home stations 42 and 42'.However, even though energized, the return relay 45 and theinterconnecting means 46, are not operative until the contact members 50and 51 are separated since when these contact members are closed thestepping relay 43 is energized andthe pawl, and rachet mechanism 44prevents the return relay 45 from resetting the counting pointers. Thisarrangement is particularly important since it will be understood thatwhile the contact mem' bers 50 and 51 are closed and the circuit iscompleted through the stepping switch 34' the solenoid 29 will beenergized to lower the kicking foot 25. Further, and perhaps the mostimportant aspect of the present invention, it will be noted that thetime period for which the solenoid 29 is energized is the same as thetime period in which the contact members 50 and 51 are closed. The timeperiod in which the contact members 50 and 51 are closed will dependupon the shape of the cam 48 and the speed at which the shaft 13 isrotated.

It is therefore contemplated that the contact members 50 and 51 will beclosed for appreciable portions of each revolution of the shaft 13 andthe rotary flies 11 carried thereby so that when the circuit iscompleted through the stepping switch 34' the solenoid 29 is energized asufficient time to shift or alter the proper paper irrespective of thespeed of the shaft 13 and rotary flies 11. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that printing press delivery mechanisms must becapable of variable speed operation and as a consequence so must thekicking andv displacing apparatus employed therewith. Thus, when theshaft 13 is rotating at a relatively slow speed the contact members 50and 51 will be closed during relatively long periods of time and whenthe solenoid 29 is energized the kicking foot 25 will be held in thelowered position for a sufficient length of time to alter or shift thedesired sheet. However, when the speed of rotation of shaft 13 isincreased the kicking foot 25 will be lowered for a shorter'timeinterval to properly displace the desired sheet.

When the contact members 50 and 51 do open, however, the circuitsthrough the ganged stepping switches 34 and 34 are immediately openedand the return relay 45 (previously energized as above described) gainscontrol to start the return of counting pointers 35 and 35 to their homepositions 42 and 42'. The relay 56 is still energized through itsassociated holding circuit and remains energized until the pointer 35reaches its home position when the lever 55 opens the contacts ofresetting switch 54 to open the holding circuit for the homing I relayand causing all contacts thereof to open.

The apparatus is now ready for further counting and displacingoperations, the same cycle as set forth above being repeated so thatevery twentieth paper is shifted or alteredwith respect to the othernewspapers on the tapes 19. It will be understood that if it is desiredto shift every tenth paper, or some other multiple of five, the pointers36 and 36 would be set to the contacts 37 and 37 corresponding .to thedesired number of papers and the foot would be actuated to alter orshift every tenth paper. Obviously the contact banks 38 and 38' of theganged stepping switches can be provided with as many contacts asdesired to allow the shifting of the proper papers to indicate the countthereof.

The counting and displacing apparatus of the presentinvention isespecially applicable to newspaper printing plants. The shaft 13 and therotary flies 11 are usually rotated at appreciable rates of speed andthe arrangement of stepping the switches in response to every fifthpaper deposited on the tapes (one revolution of the flies 11) 'allowsthe switching apparatus to be operated at reasonable speeds. However,the versatility of the counting and displacing apparatus is notadversely affected since it is usually desired to indicate the count ofthe papers by some multiple of five. The actuation of the switches oncefor every five papers also provides a sufficient time interval to kickor shift the desired paper and yet return the pointers to their homepositions prior to the succeeding actuation of the rotary switch.

Although we have shown and described an illustrated embodiment of theinvention, it should be apparent that many changes may be made therein.Asan example, the ganged stepping'switches may be combined in a singleswitch mechanism providing two parallel electrical paths between thecounting pointer and the preset pointer if desired. Thus, referenceshould be had to the following appended claims in determining the truescope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a printing press installation the combination of sheet deliverymeans, conveyor means, said sheet delivering means depositing sheets onsaid conveyor means in overlapped relation, means for acting on certainof said sheets as the same are deposited on said conveyor means toindicate a count of said sheets, means for controlling said means foracting, said means for controlling being operated in response to saidsheet delivering means, said means for. controlling comprising at leastone stepping switch having a presettahle pointer and a counting pointer,banks of contactsassociated with each of saidv pointers, conductor meansconnecting corresponding contacts of said banks of contacts, rotaryswitch means connected with said sheet delivering means, said rotaryswitch means being actuated upon predetermined movement of said sheetdelivery means for a predetermined time that is less then the timeinterval required to complete said predetermined movement, meansinterconnecting said rotary switch means with said counting pointerwhereby said counting pointer is moved from one contact to anothercontact of said bank of contacts associated therewith in response :toeach actuation of said rotary switch means, said means for acting.comprisinga kicking foot, a solenoid for actuating said kicking foot,said stepping switch completing an electrical circuit for energizingsaid solenoid when said presettabl'e pointer and said counting pointerengage corresponding contacts of said banks of contacts associatedtherewith, said means for controlling further comprising means forreturning said counting. pointer to its initial position, said lastmentioned means. including the normally open contacts of a homing relay,means for energizing the winding of said homing relay when said solenoidis energized to close said contacts, a holding circuit for said winding.of said homing relay, said holding circuit including normally opencontacts of said homing relay and being operative to maintain saidwinding of said homing relay energized after said means for energizinghas been rendered inoperative, a resetting switch in said holdingcircuit, and said. resetting switch being opened when said countingpointer is returned to its initial position.

2. Counting and displacing apparatus for printing press deliverymechanism comprising stepping switch means having a plurality ofindividual contact portions, presettable contact means connecting with apredetermined one of said contact portions, current conductive meansadapted to have electrical communication with said contact portions insuccessive one-at-a-time relation, means for completing said electricalcommunication in successive one-at-a-time relation in response to aplurality of equal predetermined movements of said delivery mechanism,means for acting on certain of the articles delivered by said deliverymechanism to indicate a count of said articles, said means for actingbeing actuated when said current conductive means is in electricalcommunication with the contact portion engaged by said presettablecontact means, means to return said current conductive means tocommunication with its initial contact portion, saidlast mentioned meansbeing operated a predetermined time following the actuation of saidmeans for-acting, and said predetermined time being of shorter durationthan the time involved for. said delivery mechanism to complete one ofsaid predetermined movements.

3. Counting and displacing apparatus for printing press deliverymechanism comprising a stepping switch having a presettable pointer anda counting pointer, a bank of contacts associated with each of saidpointers,

conductor means interconnecting corresponding contacts of said banks ofcontacts, means to move said counting pointer from onecontact to anothercontact of said bank of contactsassociated therewith in response to apredetermined movement of said delivery mechanism in a continuousstep-by-step manner, means for-acting on certain of the articlesdelivered by said delivery mechanism to indicate a count of saidarticles, means for actuating said means for actingwhen said counting.pointer and said presettable pointer engage corresponding contacts ofsaid banks of contacts associated therewith, means to return saidcounting pointer to its original position after actuation of said meansfor acting, and said means. to return being, actuated a predeterminedtime after saidmeans for acting, and said predetermined time being ofshorter duration than the time involved for said delivery mechanism tocomplete said predetermined movement.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further characterized in that saidmeans to return comprises the normally open contacts. of. a homingrelay, means to energize the winding of said homing relay when saidmeans for acting is actuated, and said means to return being operativeto return said counting pointer to its initial position. a predeterminedtime after saidv winding of said homing relay is energized.

5 Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized in that saidmeans to energize said windingof said homing relay comprises a. secondstepping switch, said second stepping switch having its pointersinterconnected with and movable with said pointer of said firstmentioned stepping switch, and said second stepping switch providing anelectrical circuit for energizing the winding of. said homing relay.

6. Apparatus. according to claim 5 further characterized in that saidmeans for acting comprises a solenoid, an energizing circuit for saidsolenoid including the normally open contacts of a relay, and thewinding of said relay being in a circuit including said first mentionedstepping switch wherebyv said relay is energized when said pointers ofsaid first stepping switch engage corresponding contacts of said banksof contacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LoftApr. 26,

